grade 2 social studies - lafayette parish school system · past by constructing a personal timeline...

Grade 2 Social Studies

Grade 2

Social Studies

Table of Contents Unit 1: Aspects of a Community: Its History .................................................................1 Unit 2: Aspects of a Community: Its Geography .........................................................11 Unit 3: Aspects of a Community: Its Government ......................................................22 Unit 4: Aspects of a Community: Its Citizens ..............................................................31 Unit 5: Aspects of a Community: Its Economy ............................................................40 Unit 6: The World and Local Cultures and Customs ...................................................50

Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008 Course Introduction

The Louisiana Department of Education issued the Comprehensive Curriculum in 2005. The curriculum has been revised based on teacher feedback, an external review by a team of content experts from outside the state, and input from course writers. As in the first edition, the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, revised 2008 is aligned with state content standards, as defined by Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs), and organized into coherent, time-bound units with sample activities and classroom assessments to guide teaching and learning. The order of the units ensures that all GLEs to be tested are addressed prior to the administration of iLEAP assessments. District Implementation Guidelines Local districts are responsible for implementation and monitoring of the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum and have been delegated the responsibility to decide if

• units are to be taught in the order presented • substitutions of equivalent activities are allowed • GLES can be adequately addressed using fewer activities than presented • permitted changes are to be made at the district, school, or teacher level

Districts have been requested to inform teachers of decisions made. Implementation of Activities in the Classroom Incorporation of activities into lesson plans is critical to the successful implementation of the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. Lesson plans should be designed to introduce students to one or more of the activities, to provide background information and follow-up, and to prepare students for success in mastering the Grade-Level Expectations associated with the activities. Lesson plans should address individual needs of students and should include processes for re-teaching concepts or skills for students who need additional instruction. Appropriate accommodations must be made for students with disabilities. New Features Content Area Literacy Strategies are an integral part of approximately one-third of the activities. Strategy names are italicized. The link (view literacy strategy descriptions) opens a document containing detailed descriptions and examples of the literacy strategies. This document can also be accessed directly at http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/11056.doc. A Materials List is provided for each activity and Blackline Masters (BLMs) are provided to assist in the delivery of activities or to assess student learning. A separate Blackline Master document is provided for each course. The Access Guide to the Comprehensive Curriculum is an online database of suggested strategies, accommodations, assistive technology, and assessment options that may provide greater access to the curriculum activities. The Access Guide will be piloted during the 2008-2009 school year in Grades 4 and 8, with other grades to be added over time. Click on the Access Guide icon found on the first page of each unit or by going directly to the url, http://sda.doe.louisiana.gov/AccessGuide.

Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008

Grade 2 Social Studies Unit 1 Aspects of a Community: Its History

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Grade 2

Social Studies Unit 1: Aspects of a Community: Its History

Time Frame: Approximately 14 instructional periods at 45 minutes per period Unit Description The focus of this unit is to study the history of the local community past and present through personal timelines and varied sources of historical information. Student Understandings Students understand their place in the community by comparing and contrasting communities over time and the daily lives of people, past and present. Students describe the history of the community by using historical references, interviewing family members, and describing various landmarks and symbols. Guiding Questions:

1. Can students discuss who lives in the community now and who lived here in the past?

2. Can students describe how the people and the community have changed over time?

3. Can students describe how people changed their environment and how the environment affects the people?

Unit 1 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks Geography Places and Regions 10. Describe changes in the physical and human characteristics in the local

community and why people modify the physical environment over time (G-1B-E3)

History Historical Thinking Skills 45. Develop a personal timeline (H-1A-E1) 46. Identify similarities and differences in communities over time (H-1A-E2) 47. Identify sources where historical information can be found and how that

information can be used (H-1A-E3) 48. Locate general areas on maps and globes referenced in historical stories and



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legends (H-1A-E3) Families and Communities 49. Compare and contrast the student’s daily life to that of parents, grandparents,

and/or guardians (H-1B-E1) Louisiana and United States History 50. Identify and describe the significance of various community landmarks and

symbols (H-1C-E2)

Sample Activities

Activity 1: Timeline (GLE: 45) Materials List: large piece of chart paper, markers Grasping the concept of time is difficult for young children. They can learn more about the past by constructing a personal timeline after making a timeline as a group. Make a group timeline and place it on the classroom wall. The timeline might consist of activities that take place during the school day, important dates the class will celebrate throughout the year, or students’ birthdays. When students have an understanding of how a timeline is constructed, have them create their own timeline. Have students gather information about their families’ birthdays or pictures from when they were young. Ask students to compile this information on a timeline to share with their classmates. Internet Resources: Internet 4 Classrooms – A variety of different timelines created to use as examples http://www.internet4classrooms.com/timelines.htm Read/Write/Think Interactive Timeline maker http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/timeline/index.html Activity 2: Look How I’ve Changed (GLEs: 10, 46, 49) Materials List: The Little House, pictures of the local community from the past, large piece of chart paper Read to the students the book The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. Discuss with the students the changes that have occurred during the house’s lifetime, and the reasons why these changes happened. Help students understand that things change over time. Tell students they will be shown pictures of the local community long ago. Have students think about what the local community was like long ago. Before showing the pictures, have students generate questions they have about the topic based on the following SQPL (Student Questions for Purposeful Learning) (view literacy strategy descriptions) statement: Our community has changed over time.



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SQPL is a strategy in which a statement is generated related to the materials that would cause students to wonder, challenge, and question. The statement should provoke interest and curiosity in the topic. Write the SQPL statement on the board or a piece of chart paper as it is said. Next, ask students to turn to a partner and think of one good question they have about the pictures based on the statement “Our community has changed over time”. As students respond, write their questions on the chart paper or board. A question that is asked more than once should be marked with a smiley face to signify that it is an important question. When students finish asking questions, the teacher should contribute his/her own questions to the list. Next show students pictures of the local community over time. Tell students to listen carefully for the answers to their questions as the class discusses the similarities and differences in the pictures. Have students compare the pictures and list changes that have occurred. Discuss with students reasons why they think things have changed. Help students recognize that if a community is to grow and thrive, it must be able to provide for the needs of its people. Go back to the list of questions to check which ones may still need to be answered. Use the pictures and teacher knowledge to supply answers. Have students compare and contrast their daily life to that of their parents and grandparents. Ask students what they think it would have been like to grow up when their parents did. What do they think their parents did for fun both at school and at home? What about their grandparents and other relatives—what was life like when they were growing up? Write their ideas on the board. Have students interview their parents or grandparents to gain their perspectives on how the community has changed over time and how it is different growing up today compared to when they grew up. Help students develop questions to ask their parents, grandparents, or other adult relatives about what it was like when they grew up. Some sample questions might include the following:

• Where and when did you grow up? • What did the place where you grew up look like? • How has that place changed since you grew up there? • What were your favorite activities when you were growing up? • What were the best and worst things about the place where you grew up?

Have students bring their interviews to share with the class. Discuss with the students things that have changed and reasons why they think these things have changed. Discuss with students how these things have changed over time. Focus on both the physical and human characteristics. Have students compare things like transportation, roads, buildings, etc. Have students draw pictures comparing what it was like when their grandparents were young to what it is like today.



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Internet Resources: National Geographic Interviewing Guide K-2 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/09/gk2/interviewingguidestudent.pdf Library of Congress Teacher Resource: www.loc.gov Activity 3: Historical Resources (GLE: 47) Materials List: chart paper Have students use brainstorming (view literacy strategy descriptions) to activate prior knowledge of what they already know about the topic. Write the word history on the board. Have students make a list of words they think of that deal with history. Provide students with time to discuss and share all words they listed. Put students in small groups and have them brainstorm where information can be found about history. Have students make a list of their ideas. The teacher should compile the list as students share them. The compiled list should include things like personal interviews, library, magazines, Internet resources, historians, parents, grandparents, or other older citizens in the community. Discuss with students how reliable these sources are. Discuss which ones would be the most reliable when looking for information about a famous person like George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, and which ones would be most reliable when looking for information about their local community.

Next, talk with students about the relationship between history and personal experience. Ask, for example, how many students could tell the history of what happened in class two weeks ago. How many could tell what happened in the classroom ten years ago? Help students recognize that knowledge of the past is limited by personal experiences, but that knowledge can be expanded by drawing on the personal experience of others. Explain that this is how historians work, by gathering evidence that can help them find out what happened in the past and what people who lived back then thought about it.

• Have students brainstorm ways a historian could find out what happened in the classroom ten years ago. For example: Interview former students and their parents; gather papers, notebooks, and pictures they have saved; look up school records from that era. Use this exercise to help students understand the kinds of evidence historians collect to reconstruct the past.

Invite a local historian or archivist into the classroom to discuss local history. Plan field trips to visit local museums to learn about local history. A visit to Louisiana history museums and historic sites will provide information on how early Louisianians lived.



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Internet Resources: • Historical Museum Guide for Louisiana - A directory of Historical Museums in

Louisiana, categorized by parish - http://www.censusfinder.com/louisiana-historical-museums.htm

• Library Of Congress Teacher Resource – www.loc.gov • America’s Library for Kids – America’s Story – (Meet Famous People, Jump Back In

Time, Explore the States, and Join America at Play) http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi

Activity 4: Our Changing Community (GLEs: 10, 46) Materials List: shoeboxes and/or milk cartons, green construction paper, art supplies This activity involves creating a town that will undergo many changes. If the community the students live in has undergone many changes throughout history, this activity might be introduced by talking about the changes. Perhaps the old Main Street is no longer the center of the community, as it once was. Perhaps the community has spread out and has developed into multiple neighborhoods, each of which is almost a community in itself. For this activity, set aside an area that won't be disturbed for two or three weeks. A special table covered with green construction paper could be set up. Discuss with students what will need to be added to the table to create a setting for a town. Students might suggest roads, bodies of water, and other features. After the physical features are completed, have students build homes using shoeboxes or milk cartons. Then place them throughout the community. Discuss with students why homes were placed in specific locations around their community. Tell students that long ago many people had to grow their own food so houses were far apart which allowed for farming of the land. Discuss with the students how the community changes as it grows. Discuss the need for increase in housing as the community grows and how the changes impact the community. How has the original setup of the town changed? Have students had to build new roads? Do residents have less land surrounding their homes? Have students keep a journal of the changes that have occurred since the start of the community. Take pictures as the town goes through various transformations to document the changes. As more homes are built, discuss the impact on the people who live in those homes. Soon the community will grow so much it will need a variety of services. Discuss with students things they might need to add to their community (e.g., stores, a church, a library, a post office, a restaurant, etc.) Where will those businesses/services be located? How will adding those businesses impact the community? Have students create some businesses, and discuss where those businesses will be placed. Will trees need to be ripped up? Is the park going to have to go? Does another street need to be constructed? As the community grows and changes, discuss how those changes have impacted the original community. How might the community continue to change in the years ahead?



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Finally, bring the discussion back to the students' own community. Which of the changes to the model community are reflected in their own community? How has the community responded to the changes made to it? Discuss with students how their own community has changed in the past and how it might need to change in the future. Discuss how this will affect their lives and the lives of the people in the community. Discuss why and how residents had to modify the physical environment over time. Activity 5: Local Community (GLEs: 10, 46, 47) Materials List: newsprint or chart paper, library books, biographies, autobiographies Discuss with students where historical information about the local community can be found. Tell the students that they will be examining what the local community was like long ago. Lead the class through an examination of their local community over time using historical resources. Help students to understand there are many ways to explore the history of the local community.

• Start with the library - Look for local history books and stories. • Contact a historical society - Ask about community history. • Find local Historians – Find people who are authorities on local history, who study it,

and write about it. • Look for memorials and historical markers - Find dates, names, and events on them. • Talk with older citizens - Invite older members of the community to the class to talk

about what their life and the town were like when they were seven. Have them discuss with students the following topics – food, clothing, shelter, music, games, and transportation.

• Check for simple biographies and autobiographies on or by members of the local community in the past or present.

As a group, create a series of charts from information read aloud to the class, material read silently by the students, visuals shown to the class, and information learned from classroom visits made by the historian and older citizens. Have students create a series of charts from newsprint, using one of the following topic headings for each chart:

• Food, Clothing, and Shelter • Music and Games • Transportation

Focus class discussions on one topic at a time (e.g., as students answer questions about shelter, the teacher writes their responses on the chart). (Other communities could be studied; e.g., American Indians, French, Spanish, Cajun).



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Activity 6: The First Louisianans (GLEs: 46, 47, 48) Materials List: Native Americans in Louisiana BLM, Word Grid: Comparing Native American Tribes of Louisiana BLM, Comparing and Contrasting Settlers and Native American Tribes of Louisiana BLM, library books, Internet access Review with students where historical information can be found and how it can be used. Read and discuss with students information about community life in early Louisiana. Discuss with the students how the Native Americans used the land and what community life was like. Give students the Native Americans in Louisiana BLM outline map of Louisiana and have them locate different Native American tribes on it. Have students compare the lives of the Native Americans across Louisiana. Have them use the Internet or the school media center to locate information about the cultures and traditions of Native Americans. Have students find information like location, clothing worn, shelter, transportation, and food. Invite members of local Native American tribes in the area to visit the class and discuss the lives of their ancestors. Lead students in a discussion about how life was different among each tribal group.

Internet Resources: Information on the genealogy, history, and culture of Native Americans in Louisiana http://www.thecajuns.com/tribes.htm Information on Louisiana’s Native American traditions and culture - http://www.nsula.edu/folklife/database/cultures/NativeAmer/NativeAmericans.html Information on Louisiana Native American tribes, their location, population and history - http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/louisiana/ Help students organize learned information by creating a class word grid. (view literacy strategy descriptions) It will be used to compare and contrast the community life of Native Americans living in Louisiana. On a chart or board place a word grid in which the names of different Native American tribes are listed on the horizontal axis, and characteristics like location, clothing, shelter, transportation, and food are listed on the vertical axis, similar to the one below. Together with the students, discuss different Native American groups and have students place an (x) in each box that tells about the group. (Native American tribes and characteristics may vary). (See the Word Grid: Comparing Native American Tribes of Louisiana BLM.) After completing the word grid, have students use it to compare and contrast two Native American groups by writing a paragraph explaining how they are alike and different. Have students describe what the community was like long ago.

Sample Word Grid: Comparing Native American Tribes of Louisiana First Louisianians Tunica-Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw Houma Location south-central x x south x x



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Then lead students in a study about how life among Native Americans in Louisiana was similar to or different from the lives of later settlers in Louisiana (e.g., shelter, food, clothing, and transportation). Have them use the Internet or the school media center to locate information about the cultures and traditions of the settlers who lived in Louisiana long ago. Have the students write learned information on a chart similar to the sample one shown below and discuss the findings in the chart noting similarities and differences. (See the Comparing and Contrasting Settlers and Native American Tribes of Louisiana BLM.)

Sample Chart Comparing and Contrasting Settlers and Native American Tribes COMPARATIVE FEATURE SETTLERS

NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES*

(CHITIMACHA) (HOUMA) Food corn, fish, sweet

potato corn, fish, squash

Clothing (women) deer hide dress wraparound skirt Clothing (men) breechcloths breechcloths Shelter plaster house plaster house Transportation canoe canoe

*Other local Native American tribes can be substituted here.

Discuss with the students the similarities and differences found. Then have students write paragraphs comparing and contrasting the lives of Native Americans with later settlers in Louisiana. (Creating a Venn diagram may help students organize their ideas before writing.) Activity 7: Communities Over Time: (GLE: 46) Materials List: poster paper, completed charts from Activity 6 Lead the students in a discussion of how the local community has changed over time beginning with the life of the Native Americans. Have students create posters showing what each community was like. (See the three sample posters below.) The information found in Activity 6 will help students create their posters.

Sample Poster # 1 Sample Poster # 2 Sample Poster # 3 Native American

Community Settlers’ Community Our Community

Today Food: Food: Food: Clothing: Clothing: Clothing: Shelter: Shelter: Shelter: Transportation: Transportation: Transportation:



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Place students in small groups to do the activity above or assign students to draw one of the above communities. Share students’ drawings and discuss the similarities and differences between each community. Discuss with students why the community has changed over time. Activity 8: Local and Historical Landmarks: (GLEs: 48, 50) Materials List: map of Louisiana, pictures of local and historical landmarks, Internet access, drawing paper, poster or collage paper Discuss with the students the term landmarks. Discuss local landmarks around the community. Make a list of these on the board. The list should include buildings (hospitals, libraries, museums, etc.), monuments, parks, waterways, etc. Have students discuss where these landmarks are located and what they know about each one. Have students draw a picture of one of the landmarks that they have visited. Have them share their experiences. Check with local chambers of commerce, government offices, and tourist bureaus for information on and pictures of local and historical landmarks. Discuss with the students the term historical. Help students understand that certain places have become part of a local community’s history. Use Internet resources to help students find information about some historical landmarks in Louisiana. Help students locate these landmarks on a map of Louisiana. Discuss with students their significance and why they are an important part of a community’s history. Have students use Internet resources to gather pictures of local and historical landmarks. Have students create a poster or a collage with pictures they find. Internet Resources: Descriptions of Louisiana’s Historical Landmarks http://www.hometownlocator.com/Landmarks.cfm?StateFIPS=22&StartRow=1 South Central Louisiana Historical Markers by Parish http://www.forttours.com/pages/hmscla.asp Louisiana Department of State Museum Program – (Descriptions and pictures of museums found in Louisiana) - http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/museums/museums/museums-index.htm

Sample Assessments

General Guidelines Documentation of student understanding is recommended to be in the form of portfolio assessment. Teacher observations and records as well as student-generated products may be included in the portfolio. All items should be dated and clearly labeled to effectively show student growth over time.



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General Assessments

• Journal writing can be done throughout this unit. • Writing Assessments: paragraph writing, diary entries, and newspaper articles can be

used to assess students’ knowledge of concepts. (e.g., Students can describe how their lives are different from those of their grandparents, describe how the land has changed over time, compare the lives of the Native Americans with those of the later settlers, describe historical landmarks, or describe local community landmarks.)

• Assess students’ knowledge of concepts by having them create graphic organizers to clarify understanding of concepts. (e.g., Venn diagrams, Webs, charts, etc.).

Activity-Specific Assessments

• Activity 1: Create a personal timeline. Have the students gather information about their families or themselves. Have students compile this information on a timeline. Assess the students’ timelines for accuracy, content, organization, and neatness.

• Activity 3: After visiting a local museum, have students write paragraphs describing what they saw and learned, construct a project illustrating some aspect of the visit, or create journal entries expressing feelings about information learned. Students should be allowed to share what they created with the class.

• Activity 7: Have students design and draw a poster that shows life in communities

over time. (Include things like food, shelter, clothing, transportation, etc., on the poster).

• Activity 8: Have students create a poster or a collage with pictures of local and

historical landmarks.


Grade 2 Social Studies Unit 2 Aspects of a Community: Its Geography 11


Unit 2: Aspects of a Community: Its Geography Time Frame: Approximately 15 instructional periods at 45 minutes per period Unit Description The focus of this unit is to study the geography of the local community. It explores the impact of human beings on the physical environment, as well as the impact of geography on the human environment. The unit employs numerous tools, including globes and maps. Student Understandings The students understand the function and use of geographic tools (e.g., maps, globes, computer programs, graphs, etc.) to locate and describe places. The students explain how weather affects land use and vegetation patterns. The students describe the impact that humans can have on the environment in terms of modifications and consequences. Guiding Questions

1. Can students use cardinal directions to locate places on maps and globes? 2. Can students describe the physical characteristics of the community? 3. Can students describe the human characteristics of the community? 4. Can students explain how the physical environment satisfies basic needs? 5. Can students describe the impact of climate on the vegetation of the local

community? Unit 2 Grade-Level Expectations GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks Geography The World in Spatial Terms 1. Interpret a diagram (G-1A-E1) 2. Describe basic characteristics of maps and globes (G-1A-E1) 3. Use cardinal directions to locate places on maps and places in the classroom,

school, and community (G-1A-E2) 4. Identify geographical features in the local region (G-1A-E2) 5. Construct a bar graph to represent given geographical information (G-1A-E3) 6. Sketch a simple map related to the classroom, school, or community (mental

map) (G-1A-E3)



Places and Regions 7.

Describe how location, weather, and physical environment affect where and how people live (G-1B-E1)

8. Identify examples of various landforms (e.g., continents, islands) (G-1B-E1) 9. Identify the human characteristics of the local community (G-1B-E2) 10. Describe changes in the physical and human characteristics in the local

community and why people modify the physical environment over time (G-1B-E3)

Physical and Human Systems 11. Describe how climate affects the vegetation in the community (G-1C-E1) 12. Identify the types of settlement and patterns of land use in the local community

(G-1C-E2) 13. Identify simple demographics of a local region (e.g., mostly factory workers)

(G-1C-E3) 14. Identify ways of making a living within the community (G-1C-E5) Environment and Society 15. Explain ways in which people in the local community depend on the physical

environment to satisfy basic needs (G-1D-E1) Economics Fundamental Economic Concepts 37. Describe the role of weather, land, and water resources in food production over

time (E-1A-E6)

Sample Activities Activity 1: Finding My Way? (GLEs: 2, 3, 6) Materials List: variety of maps (street, city, state, etc.), drawing paper Ask students what they would need to help them find their way around a place they have never been to before. Introduce the term maps. Explain to students that maps can show different places. Tell the students that a map can represent a small area like the classroom or a larger area like the community. Show students a variety of maps. (e.g., street maps, city maps, state maps, etc.) Have the students look at the maps to find things that are alike on each of the maps. Ask students: When using a map, how can one tell which way to go? Locate the compass rose on a map. Tell students the compass rose shows where the directions north (N), south (S), east (E), or west (W) are located on the map. The compass rose helps people know which direction to go when looking at maps. Have students locate the compass rose on different maps.



Have the students find the map key on different maps. Tell the students that the map key contains symbols that represent places and things on the map. Discuss with students reasons why symbols are used on a map. Have the students sketch a simple map of the classroom, then create a map key which contains symbols that represent different things in the classroom (e.g., the teacher’s desk, the book shelf, students’ desks, etc.). Using the cardinal directions, have students place the symbols from the map key on their map to represent where the different items (e.g., the teacher’s desk, the bookshelf, the students’ desks, etc.) are located in the classroom. Next, put students with a partner to sketch a simple map of the school or community. Have students label things that would be found on their map, and create a map key. Have students create five questions for other students to answer about their map (e.g., What direction is the school from the library? What does the symbol ? stand for?). Allow students time to exchange maps and answer the questions provided. Activity 2: Is it a Map? (GLEs: 1, 2) Materials List: Louisiana wall map, Louisiana desk maps (optional), Diagrams BLM Show students a map of Louisiana and have them look for and name things found on the map. Make a list on the board of the characteristics of all maps (e.g., A map has….). If desk maps are available put students in pairs and have them complete this part of the activity. When students have an understanding of maps, write the word diagram on the board. Have students tell what they think a diagram is. Show students a Venn diagram, and a flow chart. (See Diagrams BLM.) Compare diagrams to maps. Ask the students how the Venn diagram and flow chart are different from a map and what they could be used for. Help students to understand that a diagram is another way of getting and organizing information about a concept. Activity 3: Comparing Maps and Globes (GLEs: 2, 3, 8) Materials List: wall map of the world, globe, Venn Diagram BLM Show the students a map of the world and a globe. Discuss the purpose of maps and globes. Put students into small groups and have them compare a map to a globe using a Venn diagram graphic organizer, (view literacy strategy descriptions). Graphic organizers are visual illustrations of verbal statements. They show at a glance the key parts of the whole and their relations. Give each group a copy of the Venn Diagram BLM and have them compare a map to a globe. (See BLM.) Give students time to share their comparisons with the class. Help students understand that maps and globes help them find places. Review with students cardinal directions and how they are used to help locate places on maps and globes.



Introduce the term equator. Have students locate the equator on both the world map and the globe. Use cardinal directions to locate continents and oceans north and south of the equator. Help students to understand that a continent is a mass of land found on Earth and that most of the Earth is covered with water. A variety of songs can be found on the Internet to reinforce this concept. (See http://teachers.net/gazette/DEC02/continents.html.) The following is one example: Activity 4: Landforms Around the World (GLE: 8) Materials List: pictures of landforms, Landforms Around the World BLM Display the term landform. Discuss with the students the meaning of the word. Explain to students that there are several types of landforms located around the world. Each landform has unique characteristics. Have students complete a self-assessment of their knowledge of landforms around the world by completing a vocabulary self-awareness chart. (view literacy strategy descriptions) (See Landforms Around the World BLM) Do not give students definitions or examples at this stage. Ask students to rate their understanding of each word with either a “+” (understands well), “√” (limited understanding or unsure), or a “-” (don’t know). Throughout the activity students should be told to return often to the chart and add new information to it. The goal is to replace all the check marks and minus signs with plus signs. Because students continually revisit their vocabulary charts to revise their entries, they have multiple opportunities to practice and extend their growing understanding of key terms related to the topic of landforms. A picture glossary of landforms can be found on the Internet at http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/landforms/glossary.shtml. Provide students with books about each landform discussed. Show students a variety of pictures of landforms found on Earth. Help students to identify those landforms found in their local community, state, and different regions of the United States. Have students list all landforms that they have had experience with. Have students choose one landform from their list and create a model of it. Student models can be done at school or home. Give students an opportunity to share their models with the class when completed.

EARTH (Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean) Earth is the name of our planet. It's shaped like a ball or a sphere. It's covered with land and water. A globe makes this picture quite clear. Chorus

Seven continents, four oceans, on our planet, Earth... Seven continents, four oceans, on our planet, Earth! On Earth there are seven continents, They're the largest masses of land. Four large bodies of water are oceans. In fact, there's more water than land!



Internet Resources: Information on the physical geography of the United States - http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/us/A0861706.html World Almanac for Kids – Description of Landforms - http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/WAKI-Chapter.aspx?chapter_id=5 Activity 5: Mapping Fiction and Real Life (GLEs: 3, 4) Materials List: Louisiana literature (e.g., Cajun Gingerbread Boy, Clovis Crawfish, etc.), Louisiana Landforms Map BLM Give each student the Louisiana Landforms Map BLM that includes a title, directional indicators, a scale, and a map key. Have students draw symbols on the map key to represent the different landforms. Then read books with settings that take place in Louisiana (e.g., Clovis Crawfish, Cajun Gingerbread Boy, etc.). Have students recall the setting from the story and create symbols representing different geographical features mentioned in the story. Then have them place their symbols on the outline map in the appropriate locations to show various geographical features of Louisiana. As the symbols are placed on the map, remind students that the:

• title tells what the map is about • directional indicator, or compass rose, indicates North, South, East, and West • legend contains the map key and scale.

A list of books about Louisiana for children and adults can be found at the State Library of Louisiana. (Ask-a-Librarian http://www.state.lib.la.us/la_dyn_templ.cfm?doc_id=115) Activity 6: Climate and Vegetation (GLEs: 11, 15, 37) Materials List: Regions of the United States BLM, Internet (optional), Introduce the term climate. Help students understand that climate deals with weather conditions in different areas over time. Give students a copy of the Regions of the United States BLM. Explain to students that the climate in each region of the United States is different. Use the library or Internet resources to find the climate for each different region. Library Resources: Climate Maps by Ian F. Mahaney, Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather by Stephen H. Schneider, Vegetation by David Lambert, Louisiana, its land and people by Fred B. Kniffen, Changing Climate by Sally Morgan, Climates by Theresa Jarosz Albert, or The Climates of the Continents by Wilfrid George Kendrew Internet Resources: Information and activities on Southeast Climate - http://radar.meas.ncsu.edu/education/education.html



Information on the Northeast Climate - http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/ccd.html Climate across the United States - http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/us/A0861707.html General climate information around the United States - http://www.southtravels.com/america/usa/weather.html Help students understand that climate has an effect on the vegetation that grows in different regions. Discuss with students different agricultural products that grow in Louisiana. As an extension, invite an agricultural expert to the class to share information about Louisiana vegetation. Have students identify and list vegetation found in the local community. Ask them to brainstorm (view literacy strategy descriptions) what happens to the vegetation as the climate changes. This provides an opportunity to discuss the change of seasons and the differences between the definitions of weather, climate, and seasons. Have students construct a chart and list the vegetation that changes with climate and that which does not. Discuss with students the role of weather in the production of food and how people in the community depend on the physical environment to satisfy their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. . Internet Resources: Louisiana State Report–Agriculture http://www.classbrain.com/artstate/publish/cat_index_25.shtml Louisiana Agriculture - http://www.agclassroom.org/kids/stats/louisiana.pdf Louisiana Agriculture - http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/AgFunFacts.pdf Product fact sheets and activities (rice, sugarcane, cotton) - http://www.aitcla.org/files/commodity_handout_sheets.pdf Activity 7: Defining Characteristics (GLEs: 6, 7, 9, 10) Materials List: pictures of different communities Discuss with students the physical and human characteristics of the community in which they live. Show students how communities are alike and different by having them sort pictures of different communities. Have them brainstorm (view literacy strategy descriptions) reasons why people choose to live in different places (e.g., location, climate, physical environment, work). Have students identify and collect data on both the physical and human characteristics of their local community. Have students use books, magazines, newspapers, and other resources to find pictures and information about landforms, bodies of water, vegetation, and the climate of the local community. Some other characteristics may include the number of people working within or outside of the community, the origin of families, languages, religious beliefs, and land use. Students should organize all information found on a poster, chart, or graphic organizer entitled Our Local Community.



Ask students to write an expository paragraph about their community. Instruct them to describe both human and physical characteristics. Also have students include changes that have been made in their community over time, and explain why those changes were made. Then have them sketch a map of the community. Activity 8: Graphing Local Information (GLEs: 5, 9) Illustrate and discuss the use of graphs as a means of displaying information. Show students how to construct a simple bar graph by using information such as the boy/girl ratio in the classroom, modes of transportation, ice cream flavor preference, etc. Ask them to create a bar graph using the information gathered. Give students the opportunity to practice making bar graphs with various types of information. Then provide students with the geographic information on the human characteristics of the local community which was gathered in Activity 7 (e.g., how many family members work within or outside of the community, origin of families, language, religious beliefs, and land use) and have them draw a graph showing that information. Activity 9: Community Model (GLE: 12) Materials List: construction paper, blocks, small boxes, pictures of communities around Louisiana Discuss with students how land in a community may be used for different things. Land use can be commercial (stores, hotels, restaurants), industrial (factories, companies), or residential (homes, apartments). Tell students that together they will be looking at patterns of land use in the community. Help students create a model of the community. Have them choose what to include in their model. Incorporate physical and human features (e.g., buildings, forests, parks, etc). Use paper, blocks, small boxes, and other suitable materials to represent types of settlements and patterns of land use. Include such items as a library, bank, grocery store, gas station, etc., within the model community. When the model is complete, discuss with students how most of the land in their community was used. Compare different communities from around Louisiana. Provide students with pictures of different communities (urban and rural) and discuss patterns of land use. Activity 10: Working in Our Community (GLEs: 7, 10, 14) Materials List: variety of books from the “I want to be….. series”, chart paper Before doing this activity have on hand a number of books from the “I want to be….. series” (I want to be a teacher by Dan Liebman, I want to be a doctor by Liza Alexander, I want to



be a firefighter by Stephanie Maze, I want to be a librarian by Dan Liebman, I want to be a nurse by Dan Liebman, I want to be a police officer by Liza Alexander, I want to be a vet by Dan Liebman, or I want to be a mechanic by Dan Liebman). Tell students something about the books before they are read. State the following SQPL (view literacy strategy descriptions) prompt: There are many jobs in the community. Write it on the chalkboard or a piece of chart paper while saying it. Next, ask students to turn to a partner and think of one good question they have about the books based on the statement: There are many jobs in the community. As students respond, write their questions on chart paper or on the board. A question that is asked more than once should be marked with a smiley face to signify that it is an important question. When students finish asking questions, the teacher should contribute questions to the list. Read one or more of the I want to be books with the students. Discuss and answer all the questions on the chart or board with the students. Then allow students time to read, share, and discuss the books in small groups. Have students make a list of different jobs that are available in the local community. Take the students to the school media center and have them choose one job from the list and find information about that job. Discuss with students the ones that are the most common in the community. Invite people from the community to the class to share their jobs with the students. Divide the class into cooperative learning groups, giving each group the responsibility of making a list of jobs that people in their locality perform. Compile the list together on a chart entitled “Jobs in The Community”. Discuss with students the reasons why certain jobs are offered in the community and others are not. (This would be a good opportunity to discuss the physical characteristics of the community and how they have changed over time.) Discuss with students that the availability of jobs and the loss of jobs due to scarcity of resources affect where and how people live. Have students choose one job off the list. Instruct students to write a description of the job they chose and to draw pictures to include in their descriptions. Completed works should be shared with the class and displayed in the classroom. Activity 11: Conducting a Demographic Study (GLEs: 5, 13) Materials List: Class Survey BLM Have students do a simple demographic study of the classroom. Include within it such things as the number of boys and girls, the number of students riding the same bus, the number of students with blue or brown eyes, etc. Have students create simple bar graphs to show different class demographics. Then have students expand this activity by doing a demographic study of the school population, including such things as the number of students in the school, the number of students in each grade level, the number of boys and girls, different ethnic groups, etc.



Allow students the opportunity and time to collect data. Put students into groups and have them collect data from one class within the school or on one demographic topic (e.g., one group can do the number of boys and girls in the school). Students should survey each class using a chart. (See Class Survey BLM) When all data has been collected, have students create bar graphs to share information found. Finally, if possible, have the students do a simple demographic study of the local community. Here they could include such things as the total population of the community, the number of banks present, different ethnic groups, etc. Put students in groups and have them find simple demographics like number of banks or businesses in the community in the local telephone directory yellow pages. Then help students find simple demographics about the community using Internet resources. Have students compile all information found on a chart or poster to share with the class. Internet Resource U.S. Census Bureau - http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en Community Information by Zip code - http://library.csun.edu/mfinley/zipstats.html Activity 12: Depending on the Environment (GLEs: 7, 15, 37) Materials List: chart paper Ask students “What does it mean to depend on the environment?” Allow students time to brainstorm (view literacy strategy descriptions) ideas with a partner. Have students share ideas as the teacher writes them on the board or chart paper. Then lead the class through an investigation of how community residents depend on the physical environment to satisfy basic needs. Discussion should focus on how land and water resources in the community are used and the role of weather, land, and water resources in food production. Create wall charts, using one of the following headings for each:

• Basic Needs of Community Residents • Using the Environment to Meet Basic Needs • Effects of the Weather on Cultivating Crops • Using Land and Water Resources

Provide information for the charts from material read aloud to the class, material read silently by the students, pictures shown to the class, and/or local community Web sites. When students have completed charts, discuss how location, weather, and the physical environment affect where and how people live. Activity 13: Living with the Land (GLEs: 3, 7, 15) Materials List: outline map of Louisiana, Internet, books, magazines, and poster board



Have students use cardinal directions to locate their local region on an outline map of Louisiana. Guide them in conducting an investigation about the physical environment in their region utilizing the Internet, books, magazines, or the school media center. Have students describe how the physical environment affects where and how people live. Ask them to create a poster and write a caption about the region. Their poster should include an illustration of the physical environment and a caption explaining ways in which local residents use the environment to meet their basic needs. Tell students sometimes our environment is changed. Have them name things that would change the environment (e.g., people, floods, hurricanes, etc.). Discuss reasons why people sometimes modify their environment, such as clearing trees to build houses or for farming the land. Also discuss harmful ways people change the environment (pollution). Then discuss other things that can be done to modify or change the environment (building of roads and levees, etc.) Discuss how sometimes people have to adapt to changes in the environment and ways people can protect their environment from harmful changes.

Sample Assessments General Guidelines Documentation of student understanding is recommended to be in the form of portfolio assessment. Teacher observations and records as well as student-generated products may be included in the portfolio. All items should be dated and clearly labeled to effectively show student growth over time. General Assessments

• Paragraph Assessment: Students will write paragraphs about different topics throughout the unit.

• Portfolio Assessment: Possible portfolio artifacts include the students’ outline map of Louisiana bar graphs story about urban, suburban, or rural settings community model.

• Journal Writing: Student journal writing can be done throughout this unit to assess student understanding of concepts.




• Activity 5: Have students create a map that shows local landforms. • Activity 7: Have students write a story about their local community. Instruct them to

describe changes that have been made in their community over time, and to explain why those changes were made. Have them include in their story information about changes in the physical and human characteristics, and the demographics of the region.

• Activity 8: Have students create a graph that shows given information (e.g.,

geographical information, demographics, etc.). • Activities 4 and 9: Final Product Assessment: The community and landform model

can be evaluated using the Community and Landform Model Rubric BLM.


Grade 2 Social Studies Unit 3 Aspects of a Community: Its Government 22


Unit 3: Aspects of a Community: Its Government Time Frame: Approximately 14 instructional periods at 45 minutes per period Unit Description The focus of this unit is to study the government of the local community by exploring the functions of local government, the importance of laws, and the roles of key government officials. Student Understandings The students understand how government meets the basic needs of the community. The students identify key government officials and how they are elected. The students describe the responsibilities of the local government and how laws are enforced. Guiding Questions

1. Can students explain why we need local government? 2. Can students explain who is in charge of our community? 3. Can students explain how our community is governed?

Unit 3 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks Civics Structure and Purposes of Government 16. Identify local community and parish laws, and the persons responsible for

making and enforcing them (C-1A-E1) 17. Identify the necessity of local government and how it helps meet the basic

needs of society (C-1A-E2) 18. Describe major responsibilities of local government (C-1A-E4) 19. Identify key government positions at the local level, their powers, and limits on

their powers (C-1A-E5) 20. Explain how government officials at the local level are elected (C-1A-E6) Economics Individuals, Households, Businesses, and Governments 43. Identify goods and services provided by the local government (E-1B-E4)



Sample Activities Activity 1: Making Laws (GLE 16) Materials List: Making a Law, large piece of chart paper Show students the book Making a Law by Sarah deCapua. Before reading the book, have students generate questions they have about the topic based on an SQPL prompt. (view literacy strategy descriptions) State the following: “Laws are made to protect people”. Write it on the chalkboard or on a piece of chart paper when saying it. Next, ask students to turn to a partner and think of one good question they have about the book based on the statement, “Laws are made to protect people”. As students respond, write their questions on chart paper or the board. Questions that are asked more than once should be marked with a smiley face to signify that they are important questions. When students finish asking questions, the teacher should contribute additional questions to the list. Tell students to listen carefully for the answers to their questions as the book is read aloud. After reading the book, discuss with students how local, state and federal laws are made and what citizens can do to participate in the lawmaking process. Help students identify persons responsible for making and enforcing laws. Pause periodically to have students check which of their SQPL questions have been answered and to briefly discuss the answers. When the reading aloud concludes, ask students to return to the list of SPQL questions and check which ones may still need to be answered. Use the book or personal knowledge to supply answers. Activity 2: What is Government? (GLEs: 16, 17, 18, 19) Materials List: Constitution poster; chart paper; It is the Law, Making a Law, Law Making in the United States, or similar books Tell students that, like the classroom and community, the country has laws. These laws are made by the government. Write the term government on the board. Have students use a concept map to explore the concept of government. This can be done whole group or in small groups. Using brainstorming (view literacy strategy descriptions), have students make a list of words that they can associate with government. Share and discuss students’ ideas, making sure they have included words like laws, parish, governor, president, mayor, state, court, and judge on their concept maps. The teacher will use the directed reading-thinking activity or DR-TA (view literacy strategy descriptions), which invites students to make predictions, and then check their predictions during and after the reading. The teacher will build background knowledge by holding up a copy of the U. S. Constitution and asking students if they have ever seen this document before. Then the teacher will lead a discussion that elicits information the students may already have about the Constitution. Students’ ideas and information should be recorded on the board or chart paper. The Constitution for Kids Site at:



http://www.usconstitution.net/constkidsK.html provides a simple description and basic information that will help students understand the Constitution. The teacher should choose one of the following books or a similar book to read to the students: It is the Law, Making a Law, or Law Making in the United States. Discuss the title of the book and have students make predictions about the story. Write student predictions on the board or on chart paper. Then read the book, stopping occasionally to check students’ predictions and to revise predictions when necessary. Once the reading is completed, use student predictions as a discussion tool to help students understand the connection between government, laws, and the Constitution. Discuss with the students how the Constitution is the basic law for our country. Tell students the Constitution divides our government into three branches. Discuss the three branches of government with the students. Help students understand that groups of people who make laws, enforce laws, and lead our country make up our government. For background information about government, go to Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government at: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/. Activity 3: Local Government (GLEs: 17, 18, 19) Materials List: Word Grid BLM Discuss with students that government officials are the leaders of the local community, state, and nation. Have students imagine what it would be like if no one were in charge at school. Imagine if there were no rules or laws anywhere. Have students reflect in their journals what it would be like to live in a world without government leaders. Then discuss with students the necessity of local government and how it helps meet the basic needs of society. Use a word grid (view literacy strategy descriptions) similar to the sample one below, to help students identify government officials. Have students place an (x) in the box under each column where each key government official may be found. (See the Word Grid BLM.)

Key Government Officials Local (City/Parish)

State Country

president governor mayor

After completing the word grid, have students use it to identify local government officials. Discuss with students the major responsibilities of local government, their powers, and limits on their powers. Ask students “What kinds of things do local government officials do?” Invite local government officials (e.g., mayor) to the class to discuss their responsibilities in the community. Have students prepare questions that they would like to ask ahead of time. Help students understand the responsibilities of locally-elected people by focusing on issues that are meaningful to students (e.g., local park playground equipment, paving roads, planting trees).



Activity 4: How does Government Affect Me? (GLEs: 17, 43) Materials List: pictures of government buildings, shoeboxes Explore how government affects people’s lives. Help students understand the necessity of government and how it protects its citizens. Discuss services provided by government. Show students pictures of government buildings in the community (library, police department, hospital, school, courthouse, etc.). Help students make connections between government and the services they provide people throughout the community. Have students create shoebox models of different government buildings and share their experiences with these places. Discuss how government provides people with goods and services that help them meet their basic needs. Have students write narrative paragraphs naming some of the goods and services provided by local government. Go to The PBS Kids Democracy Project to explore services provided by government at: http://www.pbs.org/democracy/kids/mygovt/index.html. Activity 5: You Be the Judge (GLEs: 18, 19) Materials List: photographs of community leaders Show students photographs or pictures of community leaders. Help students identify key leaders and discuss where they have seen them and what their jobs are in the community. Lead students in a discussion on what these leaders do for the community. Help students understand that each government leader plays a different role in the community, and has different responsibilities and limitations. Help students understand that these people are responsible for making laws, enforcing laws, and determining if the laws have been violated. Ask students what it would be like to be the mayor, governor, judge, police officer, etc. Then have the students role play different government leaders. Have students recall the story of The Three Bears and list things Goldilocks did in the story that violated the laws of the community. Do a mock trial where students put Goldilocks on trial. Briefly explain the jobs of the judge, jury, defender, and prosecutor before students begin. Put students into small groups to role-play community leaders and how they would deal with Goldilocks. Have them decide whether they think she broke any laws. Students may share their decisions and what consequences, if any, should follow if she is convicted of breaking laws. Students may also role play another mock trial in The Big Bad Wolf vs. Curly Pig. A script may be found at: http://www.19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us/bkshelf/resource/mt_bbwolf.htm.



Activity 6: Create a Classroom Government (GLEs: 16, 17, 18, 19, 43) Materials List: chart paper, construction paper Discuss with students how government helps meet the basic needs of our society. Discuss with students the responsibilities of community leaders. After the discussion, tell students to pretend they are local lawmakers. Then introduce and discuss the following representative committees on which they will serve:

• Lawmaking Committee: makes classroom rules and posts them for everyone to follow

• Executive Committee: oversees classroom rules and encourages good citizenship • Law and Order Committee: mediates conflicts and keeps a discipline journal • Postal Service Committee: delivers daily attendance record to the principal’s

office • Environment Committee: cleans the learning centers and cares for classroom

plants and pets • Public Relations Committee: produces a class newsletter and writes thank-you

notes to parent volunteers • History Committee: records class activities and compiles them for a presentation.

Discuss as a group how the members of each committee will function. Lead the students to the following suggestions:

• the responsibilities of membership on the committee • how to choose a chairperson • how to give and follow directions • what the committee will do each week.

The whole class will first serve on the Lawmaking Committee to create and post classroom rules. Introduce a new committee every two or three days or as time permits, and assign the entire class to perform the responsibilities of that committee. As each committee is studied, a chart explaining the committee and its function should be posted in the classroom. Suggested charts to be displayed in the classroom might include the following:

Lawmaking Committee Makes classroom rules

Posts rules for everyone to follow

Executive Committee Oversees classroom rules, ensuring that they are followed

Encourages good citizenship

Law and Order Committee Mediates conflicts among students

Keeps a journal of rules broken



Postal Service Committee Delivers daily attendance record to the principal’s office

Environment Committee

Cleans learning centers Cares for class plants and pets

Public Relations Committee

Produces a class newsletter Writes thank-you notes

History Committee

Compiles class activity records Keeps a classroom timeline

After students have gained an understanding of the function of each committee, have them compare what these committees do to what city/parish committees do. Create a comparative chart placing classroom committees next to local government agencies that have similar functions and the limits on their powers. (See chart below.) Have students identify goods and services provided by the local government and explain how the government helps to meet the basic needs of society (e.g., jobs, food, basic services).

Comparison of Classroom Committees with Local Government Agencies

Classroom City/Parish Lawmaking Committee Council or Board Executive Committee Mayor/Parish President and Staff Law and Order Committee Police/Court/Attorneys Postal Service Committee (Not a parish service) Environment Committee Recreation/forestry/recycling Public Relations Committee Public Relations Staff History Committee Recorders in City/Parish Center

After each committee has been studied, actual classroom committees can be formed, begin operating, and continue to perform their responsibilities throughout the year. Each classroom committee should have four to five members, and students should rotate onto different committees several times throughout the year. Committee hats or badges (made using construction paper) can be worn to identify membership.



Activity 7: What Does It Mean to Vote? (GLE: 20) Materials List: picture of a voting machine, sample ballots Discuss how voting is one way to choose leaders. Show students a picture of a voting machine and explain how it works. Information about voting can be found at “Step Inside a Voting Booth” at: http://pbskids.org/democracy/vote/index.html. Examine sample ballots obtained from the voter registrar’s office. Walk students through the electoral process. For information about elections and voting, visit “Congress for Kids – Elections” at the following site: http://www.congressforkids.net/Elections_index.htm. Activity 8: Electing Local Officials (GLE: 20) Materials List: The First Book of Elections, Vote!, Voting and Elections or similar books; Internet (optional) On the board, write “Citizens vote for leaders who run for office.” Discuss ways in which citizens choose a leader. One way is by students asking themselves:

• Who will do the best job? • Can I trust the person? • Will this person work hard to make our town a better place to live and work?

Using brainstorming (view literacy strategy descriptions), have students make a list of ways citizens can learn more about a person who wants to be a leader (e.g., talking to neighbors/friends, or finding information in newspapers, on television and radio, or on the Internet), and qualities voters should look for in a leader (intelligence, honesty, responsibility, decision maker, etc.). Have students organize information into a chart similar to the following:

Ways to Learn About Leaders Qualities of a Leader Talk to neighbors. Talk to friends. Read newspapers. Listen to television and radio. Use the Internet.

Honest Responsible Intelligent Decision-Maker

After students complete the brainstorming activity, the teacher will have students share their ideas as she writes them on the board. Then discuss with students what way would be the most reliable when trying to find information about government leaders. Next, have students work in small groups to research and explain how local officials are elected. Tell them to read books (e.g., The First Book of Elections by Edmund Lindop, Vote! by Eileen Christelow, Voting and Elections by Dennis B. Fradin, etc.) as well as talking to their parents, grandparents, and other people who may have information about the election



process in their locality. Use Internet resources to help students understand the concept of elections, including the following websites: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/election/president.html http://www.ahsd25.k12.il.us/Election2004/election.html http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/elections.htm Activity 9: The Local Executive’s Chair (GLEs: 18, 19, 20) Materials List: poster paper, newspaper clippings about the city mayor or parish leader The teacher should talk briefly with the students about what they think are the major responsibilities of a city mayor or parish president. If possible, have newspaper clippings showing the local leader in action. Then discuss with students how the mayor or parish president got his or her job. Help students understand that to be a local executive leader a person has to be elected. Have students pretend they are running for mayor of their town. Share with students various information that might be included in campaigns. Ask students to construct a candidacy poster that illustrates three things they promise to do for their community if they are elected. Set up a chair in front of the room and have students share their campaign promises with the class. Have a class election to elect a mayor for the class. Together with students, make a list of responsibilities that the classroom mayor will have to perform. Go through the electoral process with students to choose their mayor. A new mayor of the class may be elected once a month. Review the electoral process each time a new class mayor is elected.


• Teacher Observation and Judgment: Several activities in this unit involve students working in groups and role playing. Students’ knowledge of concepts and student behaviors can be recorded and assessed through teacher observations and judgments



of students’ performances in these areas using a rubric. (See Teacher Observation Rubric BLM.)

• Journal writing on teacher selected topics. Examples: Have students explain why people need government and the responsibilities of local government. Name one government leader and the role he or she has in the community.

• Final Product Assessment: The students will create projects or posters that can be evaluated.


• Activity 3: In their journals, students will discuss the necessity of local government and how it helps meet the basic needs of society. Then have students choose one key government official and write about his or her responsibilities.

• Activity 4: Have students write narrative paragraphs naming some of the goods and

services provided by local government.

• Activity 9: Have students pretend they want to be a local official. Have them create a poster that would help them to be elected to this position. Posters can be assessed using a rubric. (See Poster Rubric BLM.)


Grade 2 Social Studies Unit 4 Aspects of a Community: Its Citizens 31


Unit 4: Aspects of a Community: Its Citizens Time Frame: Approximately 10 instructional periods at 45 minutes per period Unit Description The focus of this unit is to study the diversity of the population of the local community by examining the student’s role in the school community. The unit explores the importance of having rules and how citizens help leaders solve problems. Student Understandings The students understand why rules are important and what it means to be a community citizen. The students recognize ways to become active, responsible citizens in both the school and community. Guiding Questions

1. Can students explain what it means to be a good citizen at school and in the community?

2. Can students explain why we need rules? 3. Can students define the meaning of the term community citizen? 4. Can students explain the elements of fair play, good sportsmanship, and respect

for the rights and opinions of others? Unit 4 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks Civics Structure and Purposes of Government 21. Explain the need/purpose/importance of having rules in the school,

community, and society (C-1A-E7) Foundations of the American Political System 22. Explain how citizens help leaders in a community solve problems (C-1B-E2) Roles of the Citizen 23. Define the meaning of the term community citizen (C-1D-E1) 24. Identify examples of responsible citizenship in the school and community

settings (C-1D-E2) 25. Discuss the elements of fair play and good sportsmanship, respect for the rights



and opinions of others, and respect for rules (C-1D-E3) GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks 26. Describe actions individuals or groups may take to improve their community

(C-1D-E4) 28. Identify a community issue and describe how good citizenship can help solve

the problem (C-1D-E5)

Sample Activities Activity 1: What is a Rule? (GLE: 21) Materials List: learning logs, chart paper, overhead projector (optional) Help students define the term rule. Then, begin a discussion on rules by having students reply to a SPAWN (view literacy strategy descriptions) prompt written on the board. SPAWN is an acronym that stands for five categories of writing options (Special Powers, Problem Solving, Alternative Viewpoints, What if? and Next). These categories can create numerous thought-provoking and meaningful prompts related to any topic. The teacher begins by targeting the kind of thinking students should be exhibiting. Next, the teacher selects a category of SPAWN that best accommodates the kind of thinking about the content students should exhibit. The teacher presents the SPAWN prompt to the students by writing it on the board or projecting it from an overhead projector. Prompts may be used before or after new content is presented. The teacher should allow students to write their responses within a reasonable period of time. Students should be asked to copy the prompt in their notebooks before writing their responses. Since this is not formal writing, it should not be graded as such. Instead, give students credit for completing responses. SPAWN writing should be a tool students can use to reflect on their developing disciplinary knowledge and critical thinking. On the board, write the following SPAWN prompt: What if there were no rules anywhere in the world? Have students write responses to the prompt in their learning logs. (view literacy strategy descriptions) Give students about ten minutes to respond to the prompt, then have them share what they have written. As students give their responses, write them on the board or chart paper. Use these responses to introduce to the students the idea that rules play an important role in their lives. Using brainstorming (view literacy strategy descriptions), have students make a list of places that have rules, (e.g., home, school, library, parks, etc.). Discuss how rules may be different for different places. Put students into small groups of three or four. Have students make a list of rules they may have for home and school. Have groups share their lists and compare how the rules are alike and different. Discuss why different places need different rules and who should follow the rules. Using students’ responses to the prompt and the class discussion, help students identify purposes for having rules.



Activity 2: Why We Need Rules (GLE: 21) Materials List: school handbook The classroom community simulates the larger community where students live. Cooperation and interdependence help students to develop characteristics of responsibility and citizenship. Have students use the school handbook to introduce the privileges and responsibilities of student citizenship. Discuss the importance and purposes for having rules. Put students in small groups to create classroom rules based on the school guidelines. Bring students together to compile a list. List on the chalkboard all rules students created. Have students choose four or five rules to be used for their classroom. Rules should be based on the ones students feel are most important in building their classroom community. Display the rules in the classroom both for student behavior modification and for instruction concerning the development of laws. Have students perform skits that illustrate each of the class rules. Select books and writing experiences to help develop these concepts. Activity 3: Responsible Citizens (GLEs: 22, 24. 25, 26, 28) Materials List: Venn diagram, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, chart paper, poster paper Discuss ways in which the class is like a family. Explore similarities between a family and a school. Compare family rules to classroom rules using a Venn diagram graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions). Then read the book The Boy Who Cried Wolf to the students. Guide students to understand that actions have consequences. Discuss with students what the consequences of the boy’s actions were. Have a discussion about classroom responsibility. Discuss what the students’ and teacher’s responsibilities are in the classroom. Make a chart of these responsibilities on the board. Discuss the consequences of being irresponsible and the rewards for being responsible. Discuss with students how together they comprise a classroom community. Put students with a partner and have them list examples of responsible citizenship in the classroom. Then share student responses. Create a poster showing ways students can be responsible citizens in the classroom. Hang the poster on the wall and refer to it throughout the year to reinforce the concept of citizenship. Discuss with students the role of a responsible citizen in a community. Help students make a list of things responsible citizens do to help their community. Explain that by voting and getting involved in the community, citizens can help leaders solve problems. Have students think of a problem that could arise in their community and how citizens could help leaders solve this problem. Discuss ways individuals or groups may take to improve their community. The following site may be used for information on responsibilities of citizens: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/citizenship/responsibilities.html



Activity 4: Building Character (GLEs: 23, 24, 25) Materials List: Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart BLM Display the terms community citizen and citizenship. Discuss with the students the meaning of these words. Explain to students that good citizens have special character traits. Provide students with a list of character traits. Have them complete a self-assessment of their knowledge of the words using a vocabulary self-awareness chart (view literacy strategy descriptions) like the one below. Do not give students definitions or examples at this stage. Ask students to rate their understanding of each word with either a “+” (understands well), “√” (limited understanding or unsure), or a “-” (don’t know). Throughout the unit students should be told to return often to the chart and add new information to it. The goal is to replace all the check marks and minus signs with plus signs. (See the Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart BLM and the sample below.)

Throughout the year, the teacher should use a variety of activities that focus on building character traits: responsibility, respect, fairness, caring, etc. For information on citizenship the following resources may be used: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/citizenship/index.html http://www.midgefrazel.net/character.html http://www.goodcharacter.com/EStopics.html http://www.charactercenter.com Activity 5: Building Classroom Community (GLEs: 23, 24. 25) Materials List: Tops and Bottoms, 6” x 6” colored construction paper, class journal or log Discuss that each student has special gifts, talents, and abilities which make him/her special. Next, discuss the importance of showing appreciation for others, and how that contributes to making their classroom a more pleasant place. Then discuss the importance of being able to have and express opinions. Ask students what it means to cooperate? Discuss working together and working alone. Suggest reading books that show students the characters working together (e.g., Tops and Bottoms). Brainstorm (view literacy strategy descriptions) ways that show people cooperating and getting along. Help students gain a better understanding and sense of respect for each other. Pair students with someone they do not know well. Have them list ways in which they are alike and different. Have students share their findings.

Citizenship - Character Traits Word + √ - Examples Definition responsibility caring



Ask students if they have ever seen a patchwork quilt. Tell them that many different smaller pieces add to the uniqueness of the larger quilt. Explain that they will create a paper quilt from squares, which will represent ways in which their classroom community can show good citizenship. These squares, when pieced together, will reflect the uniqueness of the class as a whole. Give each student a quilt square (a 6” x 6” piece of colored construction paper). Instruct them to write their names on the squares and draw themselves doing something that would make them responsible citizens in the classroom. Then glue the pieces together and hang them on a wall within the classroom. Address diversity through the use of class meetings. Hold class meetings during the first half-hour of the school day. Students and teachers should sit in a circle and discuss the day ahead, special projects, etc. Meetings should also provide students with the opportunity to share ideas, concerns, stories, news about family, successes, etc. Keep a log (journal) of ideas and concerns discussed at meetings. This may be used as a foundation for building and improving the classroom community. Activity 6: Being a Good Citizen (GLEs: 23, 24, 25) Materials List: The Sneetches, chart paper, student journal, hand puppets Write the term citizen on the board. Begin by telling the students that a citizen is a member of a special community or group of people. Explain that a person can be a citizen of a very large community like the United States, and that a person can also be a citizen of much smaller communities like a classroom, a neighborhood, or a city. Explain to the students that to become a citizen, special requirements must be met. For example, a classroom citizen must be enrolled in school, attend class regularly, and follow the established rules. Emphasize that being a citizen is a privilege and that responsibilities come with that privilege. The teacher will use directed reading-thinking activity (DR-TA) (view literacy strategy descriptions) which invites students to make predictions, and then check their predictions during and after the reading. The teacher will lead a discussion that elicits information the students may already have about citizenship. Students’ ideas and information should be recorded on the board or chart paper. Read the book The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss. Discuss the title of the book and have students make predictions about the story. Write student predictions on the board or on chart paper. Then, read the book, stopping occasionally to check students’ predictions and to revise predictions when necessary. Once the reading is completed, use student predictions as a discussion tool to help students understand what it means to be a good citizen. Have students write in their journals what it means to be a good citizen. Have the class brainstorm a list of do's and don'ts for citizenship. Ask for specific examples of each behavior they identify. Have students role-play good citizenship themselves or use hand puppets to do so. Then have the group critique each of the role-plays.



Activity 7: Being a Good Citizen in the Classroom (GLEs: 23, 25) Materials List: chart paper, video showing fair play and good sportsmanship (optional) Review with students the term community citizen. Discuss with the students the concepts of fair play, good sportsmanship, showing respect for the opinions of others, and respect for rules. Chart student responses on the board or on chart paper using a chart similar to the one below.

Fair Play Good Sportsmanship Respect What does fair play mean?

What does good sportsmanship mean?

What does respect mean?

How do you show fair play?

How do you show good sportsmanship?

How do you show respect for others?

Next, the teacher should introduce the concepts of fair play and good sportsmanship by watching a video or listening to a story. After watching/listening, hold a discussion with the class about what was being depicted in the video or story. Help guide the discussion by asking such questions as, “What were some ways that fair play and good sportsmanship were shown in the video/story?” The teacher should record students’ responses on chart paper or on a chalkboard. Have students draw a scene from the story they saw/heard and write (or dictate) a sentence explaining the drawing. If necessary, have students rewrite it for display. Display the students’ annotated illustrations in the classroom (e.g., on a bulletin board entitled “Cooperation”). Have the students play a familiar outdoor game (e.g., kick ball). Before playing the game, review the concept of fair play and good sportsmanship. Write the students’ comments on chart paper listing behaviors that are appropriate or inappropriate (e.g., taking turns kicking the ball is fair play; cutting in line to kick the ball would be unfair play). After the chart is complete, have students practice and apply this knowledge to what they learned by playing the game. Repeat the above activity with the concepts of “respect for the rights and opinions of others” and “respect for rules.” These concepts should be reinforced and practiced throughout the year. Activity 8: Practicing Good Citizenship (GLEs: 23, 24, 25, 26, 28) Materials List: student journal, construction paper, books focusing on good citizenship Using prior activities and background knowledge have students define the term community citizen in their student journals. Discuss the meaning of the term, making sure students have a good understanding of the concept. Discuss with students local and national heroes who are good citizens. Together with the students, make a list of these heroes and tell why they



are good citizens. Help students understand that good citizens help solve problems in the community and take actions to improve their community. Then assign students stories and books that focus on good citizenship. Set aside time during each day to discuss events and story lines in one or more books. Ask students to write about the characters and to identify the traits and deeds that relate to good citizenship. Post positive character traits, such as honesty, self-discipline, and responsibility, on the bulletin board. During class discussions, ask students to identify those traits and to share with classmates ways that they can practice good citizenship. This activity should be repeated throughout the year. Then have students construct a paper tree for a bulletin board or wall display. Have students label each branch with one of the traits listed in the first part of this activity. Ask them to draw pictures of characters from the stories that exemplify these traits and then tape their pictures on the appropriate tree branches. Have students add leaves to the branches as they observe a good citizen behavior, such as following rules, playing fairly, exhibiting good sportsmanship, helping others, and keeping an area clean. Each leaf should be labeled with the behavior and who exhibited it. Explain to students that sharing and supporting others make them good community citizens. Ask them to share other ways that they are good citizens. Suggested Stories: Being a Good Citizen by Mary Small, I am a Good Citizen by Mary Small, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst, The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward, Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss, The Boy Who Cried Wolf by Aesop, Harry in Trouble by Yossi Abolafia, and Stone Fox by John Gardiner, Activity 9: Rules and Responsibilities in Fiction and Real Life (GLEs: 21, 22, 26, 28) Materials List: Officer Buckle and Gloria, Island of the Skog, Yertle the Turtle, Horton Hatches the Egg, or Roxaboxen Students should begin to make the transition from following classroom rules to observing community rules or laws. Read selections of fiction such as Officer Buckle and Gloria, Island of the Skog, Yertle the Turtle, Horton Hatches the Egg, and Roxaboxen. Ask students to share how the characters in the readings were responsible citizens and followed rules. Have students create a chart comparing characters in the readings to members of the local community. Allow them to role-play good citizenship from the readings and dictate or write about their experiences as community members. Then invite community members to the class to speak about leadership qualities and their contributions to the community. Have the class make a bulletin board display with pictures of community members who demonstrate good citizenship.



Next, conduct a discussion about ways citizens can help community leaders solve problems. Generate a list of problems facing the community. Engage students in a discussion on ways to help solve the community’s problems. Have students write letters to parish and state leaders stating how they can help to solve the problems. Ask each student to read his or her letter to the class before sending the letters to the proper authorities. (Encourage students to share any replies to their letters.) Invite a community leader to speak to the class about problems and issues facing the community, and have him or her suggest ways that citizens can help solve those problems. Activity 10: Addressing Community Problems (GLEs: 22, 26, 28) Materials List: poster paper Engage the students in discussions about community problems. Have students create a list of problems, then vote on two problems to focus on. Use direct instruction to provide students with sufficient information about the problem to ensure that they can complete the assignment. Invite a community representative to discuss the problems and provide possible solutions. Assign committees of three or four students to create a poster that captures the central theme associated with one problem (e.g., pollution and its impact on area wildlife). Ask committee members to include textual information and pictures illustrating the problem. The students should describe how the actions of individuals and groups can improve the community. Ask students to explain how their poster could help solve the community problem by making people aware of the community’s needs.


• Teacher Observation and Judgment: Several activities in this unit involve students working cooperatively. Students’ behaviors can best be recorded and assessed by teacher observation and judgments. (See Student Behavior Checklist BLM.)

• Learning Log (Journal): In their learning log, students will write down information they learned throughout the unit (e.g., Today I learned. . .).



• Role-play: Throughout this unit, students will role-play different situations. This may be used to check student understanding of concepts.

Activity Specific Assessments

• Activity 5: Journal: A log of what was discussed at class meetings should be kept. Record any concerns students may have and ways they were addressed. The entries in the log should be student input. Assign students the job of writing entries in the log.

• Activity 9: Letter Writing: Have students write letters to parish and state leaders

stating ways they can help improve their community and what they can do to help leaders solve problems in the community.

• Activity 10: Project: Create a rubric to assess the posters created by students. (See

the Poster Project Rubric BLM.)


Grade 2 Social Studies Unit 5 Aspects of a Community: Its Economics 40


Unit 5: Aspects of a Community: Its Economy

Time Frame: Approximately 18 instructional periods at 45 minutes per period Unit Description The focus of this unit is to study the local economy by examining basic human needs and ways of making a living in the local community, and exploring the roles of producer and consumer. The concepts of scarcity, resources, economic choices, production, consumption, goods, services, and economic institution are defined and illustrated. Student Understandings The students understand what basic needs are and how families meet those needs. The students recognize resources found in the local community and the roles of different people who provide goods and services. The students explain the choices that need to be made by both families and communities when buying goods and services, the importance of skills and education in choosing a career, and the need for interdependence within the local community. Guiding Questions

1. Can students describe basic needs and how we meet them? 2. Can students describe who provides goods and services? 3. Can students describe the roles of farmers, processors, and distributors in

production and consumption? 4. Can students identify the bank as a local economic institution? 5. Can students identify a consumer and producer and their roles in the community? 6. Can students describe ways in which resources are used?



Unit 5 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks Geography Physical and Human Systems 14. Identify ways of making a living within the community (G-1C-E5) Economics Fundamental Economic Concepts 29. Explain how basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter can be met (E-

1A-E1) 30. Identify examples of scarcity in the local community (E-1A-E1) 31. Identify what is gained and what is lost (given up) in choosing one of several

alternatives (e.g., skating with friends versus bowling with parents) (E-1A-E2) 32. Identify examples of choices families make when buying goods and services

(E-1A-E4) 33. Identify a consumer and a producer and their roles in the economy 34. Explain how people in the local community depend on each other for goods

and services (E-1A-E5) 35. Identify various ways in which resources are used (e.g., use of trees to produce

wood for building, wood products, heat) (E-1A-E6) 36. Describe the roles of farmers, processors, and distributors in food production

and consumption (E-1A-E6) 37 Describe the role of weather, land, and water resources in food production over

time (E-1A-E6) 38. Identify the specialized work that people do to manufacture, transport, and

market goods and services (E-1A-E7) 39. Describe the importance of skills and education in choosing a career (E-1A-

E8) 40. Identify a local economic institution (e.g., bank) (E-1A-E10) 41. Explain why people exchange goods and services (E-1A-E11) Individuals, Households, Businesses, and Governments 42. Identify individuals or groups in the community who have started new

businesses (E-1B-E3) 44. Explain the difference between goods and services and give examples of each

within the local community (E-1B-E5)

Sample Activities Activity 1: Basic Human Needs (GLEs: 29, 34, 41, 42) Materials List: student learning logs Begin this activity by having students answer the following question, “What are our basic human needs?” in their learning logs (view literacy strategy descriptions). Have students



reflect on what would happen if there weren’t any ways to meet basic needs, and share their reflections with the class. Have students turn to a partner and name one way people can meet these basic needs. Explain how people in the community depend on each other to meet their basic needs. Ask questions to foster student discussion. (e.g., Where can I get food in the community? Where can I buy clothing? Is there anyone who can help me find or build a home?) Discuss with students why people in the community exchange goods and services. Then discuss with the students places in the community that provide goods or services that help people meet their basic needs. Discuss and name different businesses that can be found in the local community and what goods or services they provide. Identify people or groups that have started new businesses in the community and tell what impact these businesses have on the community. After the discussion have students reflect in their learning logs on reasons why people in the community depend on each other. Activity 2: Jobs in the Community (GLEs: 14, 39) Materials List: Opinionnaire BLM, pictures of people at work, computer and Internet access (optional) For this activity create an opinionnaire (view literacy strategy descriptions) by generating statements about the topic of working in the community that will require students to take positions and defend them. The emphasis is on students’ points of view and not the “correctness” of their opinions. Opinionnaires promote self-examination, value students’ points of view, and provide a vehicle for influencing the ideas of others. Give each student the Opinionnaire BLM. Have students read each statement and then circle agree or disagree. Next, have them write the reason for their opinion. Have students share their opinions about each statement with the class. Then have the class briefly discuss and debate the different opinions. Next, explore with students the many different ways people work in the community. Relate occupations to meeting the needs and wants of the people in the local community. Provide students with pictures of people at work. Ask students to decide which jobs people perform in their community. Explore the jobs of different workers using the site Community Club at http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/index.htm. Click on the workers to find out more about their jobs. Have students name other ways people can make a living in their community. Have students describe the importance of skills and education in choosing a career. Resources Your Neighborhood - http://bensguide.gpo.gov/k-2/neighborhood/index.html Jobs in the City - http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/cities/workers1.html



Activity 3: What Would You Like to Be? (GLEs: 14, 39) Materials List: library books, Internet access, learning logs Prior to conducting this activity, the teacher should give directions to the students and questions concerning their career choices that they will need to answer. Tell students there are many ways of making a living in the community. Together with the students, make a list of different jobs that can be found in the local community. Ask students what they would like to be when they grow up. Provide students with a variety of literature on different careers (e.g., Dan Liebman’s I Want to Be series, Liza Alexander’s I Want to Be series, or Catherine O’Neill Grace’s I Want to Be series). In student learning logs (view literacy strategy descriptions), have students write the following sentence: When I grow up I want to be a ____. Then have the students research the career using different books, all of which describe specific jobs, and Internet resources to find information about their chosen job. So they can conduct interviews, arrange for students to visit various locations in the community where people work. Students that choose the same career should be given the opportunity to work together. Have students write in their learning logs what it would be like to have this job and what qualifications, skills, and level of education they would need to do these jobs. At the conclusion of Activity 2 and Activity 3, have students direct their attention back to their opinionnaires from Activity 2 and discuss whether their initial opinions have changed as a result of new learning about jobs in the community. Activity 4: Goods and Services (GLEs: 34, 41, 44) Materials List: Goods and Services BLM, Summer Business, newspaper advertisement circulars Read the book Summer Business by Charles Martin or a similar book about goods and services. Discuss the differences between a good (an object that is bought and sold) and a service (something that someone pays someone else to do). Lead a discussion and have the students explain how people in the community depend on one another for goods and services. Explore reasons why people exchange goods and services. Put students in groups, give them advertisements from local businesses, and provide copies of the Goods and Services BLM. (See the BLM.) Have students cut out pictures of goods and services found in the local community newspaper advertisement circulars. Then have students paste their pictures in the correct column on the Goods and Services BLM. Have the students share their Goods and Services charts with the class. For additional information, see “Delivering the Goods” – distinguishing between goods and services - http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/em197/flash/activity1.html



Activity 5: From Land to Mouth (GLEs: 33, 35, 36, 37, 38) Materials List: 3 x 5 index cards (four per student) Begin this activity by introducing the terms producer and consumer. To develop student understanding of these terms have students create vocabulary cards (view literacy strategy descriptions). Provide students with two 3 x 5 index cards and ask them to follow the directions in creating the card. Draw the diagram below on the board and place the term producer in the middle circle (Vocabulary box). Have students provide a definition of the term in their own words in the Definition box. List the characteristics or a description of the term and give an example of it in the correct boxes. Finally create a simple illustration of the vocabulary word in the last box of the card. Then have students do another card for the term consumer. Vocabulary cards should be used to review concepts throughout the unit. Students can study their cards alone and with a partner in preparation for quizzes and other class activities. Discuss with students the process of food production, distribution, and consumption. Begin with the role of farmers in the production of food. Discuss what happens to the food that farmers produce. Introduce the terms transportation and factories. Distribute two more 3 x 5 index cards to each student, and have students create vocabulary cards for these terms. Discuss with students ways food grown by farmers is transported to factories. Discuss what happens to the food at the factories and how it gets to stores for consumers to buy. Activity 6: Basic Economic Functions (GLEs: 29, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38) Materials List: The Ox-Cart Man, Using Natural Resources BLM Introduce the term resources. Explain that people depend on the physical environment and its resources to meet their basic needs. Explain to the students that resources come from Earth. Put students with a partner and have them make a list of natural resources that are used every day and how they are used. Have students share their lists. Read The Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall. Discuss how the Ox-Cart Man was both a producer and consumer of goods, and how he used resources to produce the things he needed to take to market. Use a graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to help students

Farmers grow carrots, potatoes, etc.

Someone who makes or grows something

Illustrations (farmer, garden)

Example (farmer)

producer



organize their ideas. Make a chart to show the resources the Ox-Cart Man used to produce his goods he sold at the market. (See the Using Natural Resources BLM.) Discuss the specialized work the Ox-Cart Man and his family did to manufacture, transport, and market their goods (e.g., carving, planting, weaving, shearing, etc.). Tell the students that before the Ox-Cart man’s family could sell their products to make the money they needed to buy the goods they wanted, they had to produce their goods (e.g., wood, plants, wool, etc.). Note the producing-transporting-selling-buying-producing cycle in the life of the Ox-Cart Man’s family. Use a flow chart to help students understand the following process:

• Produced the goods on their farm • Transported the goods to market in the cart • Sold the products at the market to make money • Bought things the family needed in order to live and continue to produce

Have students draw pictures in their learning logs (view literacy strategy descriptions) of items they as producers would make to give to the Ox-Cart Man to take to the market to sell. Have them write a description of the specialized work they would need to do to make their goods. Then have them write a description of what they would want brought back to them (consumers) from the market, keeping in mind what they would need to continue to produce their products. Have them explain why getting these goods is worth the time and work they had to put into making their products. Discuss with students the negative and positive aspects of their choices. For more information on economics go to Econopolis online at http://library.thinkquest.org/3901/. Activity 7: Opportunity Cost (GLEs: 31, 32) Materials List: Tops & Bottoms, or The Terrible Thing That Happened At Our House, or Sam and the Lucky Money, or Mailing May Review the terms goods and services with the class. Give students a few examples of both and ask them to decide which ones are goods and which are services. Have students explain the difference between the two. Write the term choice on the board. Discuss with students what it means to make a choice and that making a choice means having to do without the other items (opportunity cost). Have students share personal experiences in which they had to choose one thing over another. Have them share what was gained or what they had to give up when they made their choice. Read books to students that include situations where the protagonist had two economic wants (items) but enough money for only one of them. (e.g., Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn, Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell, The Terrible Thing That Happened At Our House by Marge Blaine, or Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens) Have the students tell what the characters in these stories gained or lost from the choices they made. Have students illustrate and write a paragraph based on one of the stories



or from one of their own personal experiences in which they had to make a choice between two things. Activity 8: State Your Business (GLEs: 32, 33, 41, 42, 44) Materials List: Elves and the Shoemaker, magazines, newspaper ads, or Internet resources Read the story, Elves and the Shoemaker, to the students. Use the story to discuss the resources needed to operate a business successfully and the role of producers and consumers. Tell the students that just like the Elves and the Shoemaker, the people in the community depend on each other for goods and services. Have students make a list of the different businesses in their local community where they have visited and purchased goods or services. Have students explain reasons why families choose particular businesses when buying goods and services. Tell students that people around them no longer produce everything that they need. Engage students in a discussion about goods and services. Explore with students the sources of goods and services that are available within the community and why people exchange goods and services. Ask questions such as:

• Where can we get milk, bread, and peanut butter in the community? • Where can we get haircuts in the community? • Why does a haircut cost more or less at one shop than it might at another?

Involve students in a brainstorming activity. Have them generate a list of goods and services available in the community. Have the students choose one business from the community and create a business sign for it. The sign should contain the name of the business and the goods or services it provides to the community. Use magazines, newspaper ads, or Internet resources to gather pictures for their sign. Combine all the signs into a book to create a business brochure for their local community. Activity 9: How We Get Canned Corn (GLEs: 36, 38) Materials List: construction paper Discuss with students the roles of farmers, processors, and distributors in food production and consumption. Put students into small groups to make accordion books about manufacturing corn. Ask students to brainstorm the steps in manufacturing corn. Focus on the specialized work that needs to be done before the corn gets to the kitchen table, such as the following:

• Farmers have to plant, grow, and harvest corn. • Factory workers remove the shucks, wash the corn, cut the kernels off the cob, cook

the corn, put the corn in a can, seal the can, and put them into cases.



• Drivers transport the cases of corn to market. • Store owners sell the corn to the consumers.

Have students illustrate the above process, and number the steps in the process. Have them write sentences to represent each step. Later, have students share their books with the class. Activity 10: Manufacturing Goods (GLEs: 38, 42) Materials List: transparency or poster, construction paper, art supplies Before starting the activity, make six sneaker cut-outs for each group out of construction paper. In advance, write on a transparency or poster the following information:

• What is the name of your company? • What type of sneaker do you make? • What activities can people do while they wear your sneakers? • What will your sneaker look like? Draw a picture of it. • If you were making a sample of your sneaker, what arts and crafts materials would

you need? Begin by discussing with students products that they want and ones that they need. List the students’ responses on a T-chart, labeled “Wants and Needs”. Next, explain that people make purchases from businesses to satisfy their wants and needs. As a class, name some of the businesses in the local community that make the products listed. Have students name groups or individuals in the community who have started new businesses and why these businesses were started. Discuss any specialized work that these people do to manufacture, transport, and market their goods. Then divide students into small groups and explain that each group is a business that makes sneakers. The group will be responsible for creating a new sneaker, making several samples of it, and making an advertisement for it. To complete the activity, show students the questions on the transparency. Have the group members work together to answer each question, recording their final decisions on a sheet of paper. This will be their plan when manufacturing their products. Next, review the assembly line concept with students, explaining that companies often use assembly lines to produce products quickly. Then have each group use its illustration and materials list to plan the most efficient way to make three pairs of shoes. Instruct the group to create a different job for each group member to make the shoes. For instance, one child might cut out materials, another might glue, and a third might decorate. Explain that groups may have different jobs based on their shoe designs. Then give each group six sneaker cut outs. When groups are done, invite them to share their plans and finished products with the class. Afterwards, discuss as a class how the assembly line process helped them make their shoes. Products and Producers – Interactive http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/em564/popupActivity.html Consumers and Producers – Interactive http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/EM464/em464_popupActivity_3.html



Xbox Manufacturing Process Pictures - http://www.xbox-linux.org/wiki/Xbox_Manufacturing_Process_Pictures#Case_Manufacturing Activity 11: The Card Shop (GLEs: 33, 41) Materials List: construction paper, play money Put students in small groups. Have students design greeting cards to be used in a class card shop. Have students choose a dollar amount to charge for his or her card. Write it on a price tag and tape the tag to the card. Give the students a range of prices to use. Invite students to take turns being salespeople and customers, selling and buying the cards with play money. Discuss the roles of producers and consumers and tell how consumers trade money for goods. Activity 12: What Banks Do (GLE: 40) Discuss the functions of banks with students. If possible, a field trip to a local branch bank would be an excellent way to introduce the concepts. If a field trip isn’t possible, invite a bank representative to visit the class to discuss the role of banks in the community. After the visit or field trip, discuss the importance of saving money, which may increase the value of money by earning interest. Have students create a savings chart to show where they can save their money:

• piggy bank: money draws no interest and thus does not grow • bank account: money draws interest while a bank uses it • saving bonds: money draws interest while the government uses it

Online resources are available for more information about concepts on banking: (Kids Bank at http://www.kidsbank.com/index_2.asp and The Department of Treasury for Kids at http://www.ustreas.gov/kids/) Activity 13: Scarcity (GLEs: 30, 35, 37) Introduce and define the term scarcity. Have students make a list of things that are scarce or hard to find. (e.g., trading cards, antiques, collectables, etc.) Ask them how scarcity affects the price of these items. Explain how scarcity may impact the value of the item in the future. Have students make a list of resources that can be found in the local community. Then name ways in which these resources are used. Describe how the weather affects the resources that are used. Explain to students that sometimes the weather can cause resources to become scarce. Have them list other reasons why resources may become scarce. (e.g., loss of land, over-use, etc.) Put students into groups to discuss which resources from their list may be in danger of becoming scarce. Have students list ways of preventing scarcity of resources.




• Journals: Student journal writing can be done throughout the unit to assess student understanding of concepts (e.g., What job do you want to have when you grow up? What’s the difference between wants and needs?).

• Teacher Observation and Judgment: Several activities in this unit involve students working in groups and illustrating economic behaviors. Most of the student behaviors can be recorded and assessed by establishing regular times to observe and make judgments about student performance.

• Student-Created Projects: There are a variety of student-created projects that may be assessed throughout this unit (e.g., collages, books, cards, posters, brochures, T-shirts, etc.).


• Activity 4: Assess student-created charts of goods and services available in the community.

• Activity 5: Assess student-created vocabulary cards • Activity 7: Assess students’ paragraphs. Have students illustrate and write a

paragraph based on one of the stories from the activity or from one of their own personal experiences in which they had to make a choice between two things.

• Activity 9: The students will create an accordion book. The teacher will assess books

using the Accordion Books Rubric. (See the BLM)


Grade 2 Social Studies Unit 6 The World and Local Cultures and Customs 50


Unit 6: The World and Local Cultures and Customs

Time Frame: Approximately 10 instructional periods at 45 minutes per period Unit Description The focus of this unit is to show that the local community is part of the larger global community, by looking at folktales, legends, and stories of heroism from various cultures around the world. The unit examines the significance of national holidays in the United States, and employs numerous tools, such as maps, globes, picture books about various cultures and events, posters, and visual representations. Student Understandings The students understand that stories can provide information and contain moral lessons. The students understand that customs and ceremonies are part of culture. The students explain that national holidays have significance for the nation. Guiding Questions

1. Can students describe folktales, legends, and stories of heroism that tell about history and traditions?

2. Can students explain some customs of other cultures and how they resemble ours? 3. Can students explain the meanings of our national holidays?

Unit 6 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) GLE # GLE Text and Benchmarks Geography The World in Spatial Terms 1. Interpret a diagram (G-1A-E1) 2. Describe basic characteristics of maps and globes (G-1A-E1) 3. Use cardinal directions to locate places on maps and places in the classroom,

school, and community (G-1A-E2) Places and Regions 8. Identify examples of various landforms (e.g., continents, islands) (G-1B-E1)



Civics Roles of the Citizen 27. Explain the significance of national holidays and the achievements of the

people associated with them (C-1D-E4) History Historical Thinking Skills 45. Develop a personal timeline (H-1A-E1) 48. Locate general areas on maps and globes referenced in historical stories and

legends (H-1A-E3) Louisiana and United States History51. Identify cultural elements (e.g., crafts, customs, music, folklore) of the local

community (H-1C-E4) World History 52. Explain the customs related to important holidays and ceremonies in various

countries around the world in the past (H-1D-E1)

Sample Activities

Activity 1: Exploring Cultures and Customs (GLE: 51) Materials List: pictures of local festivals, pictures of local foods, newspaper stories, poster paper Begin the activity by holding a discussion with the whole class to define the concepts of culture and customs. Topics might include cultural differences related to respect for elders, emphasis on education, definitions of important knowledge, religious traditions, musical styles, and the like. Discuss with students how music and/or storytelling have changed with the advent of radio and television, or why quilting and basket making have come to be considered arts and crafts instead of necessities. Students can begin to recognize that these might apply to units as small as the immediate family and as large as the whole nation. The idea that cultures and customs are connected to geography and economy can be introduced, perhaps by discussing the differences between subsistence lifestyles. Tell students that people in different places eat different foods, celebrate different festivals, listen to different kinds of music, and wear different clothing. This is part of their culture. Explain to students that they will be exploring the culture of their own community. Show students pictures of different foods and festivals that are part of their local culture. Let students share their experiences about these foods and festivals with the class. Discuss with students how the local community has certain cultural elements (e.g., food, music, festivals, etc.) Next, divide the students into groups and ask them to talk about their families and the cultures and customs represented among them and among their friends outside of school. Have students collect materials and make a collage or poster that would



represent some of the cultural elements present in the community. They might use newspaper stories and/or photographs of community events such as music or craft festivals, Mardi Gras beads, items that represent special days such as Valentine candies or Halloween decorations, and so on. Each group can present their cultural studies to the class. Louisiana Cultural and Historical Information http://www.crt.state.la.us/tourism/studentbrochure/sbcover.htm Activity 2: Up, Down, and Around (GLEs: 2, 8, 51, 52) Materials List: Everybody Cooks Rice and All Kinds of Families, world desk map, globes, chart paper Engage students in a discussion of the purpose and function of a map and globe and describe their basic characteristics. Have each student explore globes and maps, discuss their various features, and describe their basic characteristics. Then give students a desk map of the world and show them how the world is made up of many different countries. (e.g., China, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, etc.). Have students sketch various landforms (continents, islands, mountains) found around the world. Tell students that, like the land, people around the world share many likenesses and differences. Discuss with students ways they think people around the world would be like them or different from them. Focus on the elements of culture and how it helps meet human needs for clothing, food, and shelter. The teacher will use the directed reading-thinking activity or DR-TA (view literacy strategy descriptions) which invites students to make predictions, and then check their predictions during and after the reading. The teacher will build background knowledge by showing students pictures of children from different countries. Then the teacher will lead a discussion that elicits information the students may already have about children around the world. The teacher should choose one of the following books or a similar book to read to the students: Everybody Cooks Rice by Norah Dooley or All Kinds of Families by Norma Smith. Discuss the title of the book and have students make predictions about the story. Write student predictions on the board or on chart paper. Then read the book, stopping occasionally to check students’ predictions and to revise predictions when necessary. Once the reading is completed, use student predictions as a discussion tool to help students understand the connection between them and children around the world. Discuss with the students how children around the world are alike and different.



Activity 3: Diversity (GLEs: 51, 52) Materials List: Children Just Like Me: Celebrations, Celebrate!, chart paper The teacher will write the term diversity on the board. Ask students what they think it means. Discuss with students that diversity means being different. Have students look around the room and tell how they are different from the person sitting next to them and how they are alike. Tell the students that people are alike and different in many ways. Review the term culture and discuss how Louisiana has a very rich culture. Share with students crafts, music, folklore, and customs that are found throughout Louisiana. The following site can be used as a resource: Louisiana Living Traditions http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/creole_art_creole_state.html Then focus on the cultural elements of the local community. Invite grandparents and older members of the community to the class to share cultural elements (e.g., crafts, music, folklore, and customs) and what life was like in the local community long ago. Next, discuss how culture and customs are specific to areas both in Louisiana and around the world. Have students name holidays and different events that are celebrated in their local community and how they are celebrated with their families. Discuss how these celebrations have changed over the past fifty years. Have grandparents and older community members share how they celebrated holidays when they were little. Then read to the students a book about celebrations around the world (e.g., Children Just Like Me: Celebrations by Anabel Kindersley, Celebrate! by Jan Reynolds, Holiday!: Celebration Days Around the World by Deborah Chancellor). Before reading the book, have students generate questions they have about the topic based on an SQPL prompt. (view literacy strategy descriptions) State the following: “Children around the world celebrate in many different ways”. Write it on the chalkboard or on a piece of chart paper when saying it. Next, ask students to turn to a partner and think of one good question they have about the book based on the above statement. As students respond, write their questions on chart paper or the board. Questions that are asked more than once should be marked with a smiley face to signify that they are important questions. When students finish asking questions, the teacher should contribute additional questions to the list. Tell students to listen carefully for the answers to their questions as the book is read aloud. After reading the book, discuss with students ways in which people are alike and different. Pause periodically to have students check which of their SQPL questions have been answered and to discuss briefly the answers. When the reading aloud concludes, ask students to return to the list of SPQL questions and check which ones may still need to be answered. Use the book or personal knowledge to supply answers. Make a list of the different places and celebrations discussed in the book. Use internet or library resources to help students find information on how children around the world celebrate various holidays and special events. Tell students that these celebrations are part of



their culture and customs. Discuss how different places have different customs and ways of celebrating and how these have changed over time. Then have the children compare their cultural life to that of children around the world. “What things do they have in common and what things are different?” Focus on how these cultural elements have changed over time and reasons why they have changed. Children Around the World - http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/kidsweb/children.htm Sights and Cultures Around the World - http://www.sights-and-culture.com/ Activity 4: Alike—or Not? (GLEs: 3, 52) Materials List: All the Colors of the Earth, All the Colors We Are, World Map BLM, chart paper, and poster paper (optional) The teacher will use the directed reading-thinking activity or DR-TA (view literacy strategy descriptions), which invites students to make predictions, and then check their predictions during and after the reading. The teacher will build background knowledge by showing students a map of the world with different countries labeled. (See World Map BLM) Then, the teacher will lead a discussion that elicits information the students may already have about these countries and the children that live there. The teacher should choose one of the following books or a similar book to read to the students: All the Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka or All the Colors We Are by Katie Kissinger. Discuss the title of the book and have students make predictions about the story. Write student predictions on the board or on chart paper. Then read the book, stopping occasionally to check students’ predictions and to revise predictions when necessary. Once the reading is completed, use student predictions as a discussion tool to help students understand the connection among children around the world. Discuss with the students how children around the world are alike and different. Show students a map of the world (See BLM World Map) with different countries labeled on it. Have students tell in which direction each country is located from Louisiana. Have students predict what it would be like to be a second grader in another country. Have students work in groups to locate specific information about different customs, important holidays, and ceremonies from the different countries on the BLM World Map. Have each group write down the information of the country researched. Once the research has been completed, have students prepare information on a poster or in some other form to share with other groups. The teacher should make sure that the information students have is accurate. Then have students compare the different customs, holidays, and ceremonies found to local customs, holidays, and ceremonies. Discuss with students how holiday celebrations, customs, and ceremonies have changed over time both in Louisiana and around the world. Help students find information that would show how these different customs and celebrations have changed over time. Focus on one or



two different celebrations. (e.g., Christmas, New Year’ Day, Thanksgiving, Independence Day) Internet resources: Christmas Around the World http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/ http://www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/worldxmas/ New Year’s Day over the Years http://wilstar.com/holidays/newyear.htm Around the World - http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/k_2theme/world.htm People and Places of the World - http://www.galenfrysinger.com/index.htm Activity 5: Stories and Legends Around the World (GLEs: 1, 48, 51) Materials List: Internet (optional), books on Cinderella, maps, globes Tell students that different countries have stories and legends that are part of their culture. Discuss how these stories are alike and different from the stories and legends in the United States. Tell the students the story of Cinderella. Discuss how it appears in many different cultures. Read and discuss the English version of Cinderella with the students. Then choose another version of Cinderella from another country to share with students. One or more of the following books may be used:

• The Turkey Girl by Penny Pollock (Turkey) • Sootface by Robert San Souci (Native American) • The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo (Egypt) • The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo (Ireland) • The Little Glass Slipper by Charles Perrault (France) • Yeh-Shen by Ai-Ling Louie (China) • The Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo (Peru) • The Golden Sandal by Rebecca Hickox (Iraq) • Donitila by Jewell Reinhart Cobum (Mexico) • The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo (North Korea) • The Gift of the Crocodile by Judy Sierra (Indonesia) • Fair, Brown, and Trembling by Jude Daly (Ireland) • Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe (Africa) • The Way Meat Loves Salt by Nina Jaffe (Israel) • Smoky Mountain Rose by Alan Schroedea (United States)

Read aloud one or two different versions of Cinderella. Put students into small groups. Have students compare and contrast the events in each of the different versions of Cinderella, using a Venn diagram graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions). Have each group exchange diagrams and read and interpret the information written. Then have students



compare what they wrote to what the other groups wrote and share any information that was different. Next, read to students some historical stories and legends that are set in recognizable places. Using maps and globes, have students find the locations where actions in the readings occur. Have them illustrate a figure in the story and write a journal entry summarizing a historical story or legend. Students may share their writings orally with the class. Stories, Legends, and Folktales from Around the World - http://www.unc.edu/~rwilkers/title.htm Aaron Shepard’s World of Stories - http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/index.html Folklore, Myths, and Legends - http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkBrown/storfolk.html Stories/Myths/Legends from Around the World - http://www.indigenouspeople.net/stories.htm Activity 6: Famous Americans and Their Contributions (GLEs: 1, 27, 48) Materials List: books about famous Americans, poster paper, Internet access (optional) Introduce the term famous. Have students name someone they think is famous and why they are famous. Tell students that there are famous Americans that made a significant impact to their country. Engage students in a brainstorming (view literacy strategy descriptions) activity naming individuals who would be considered famous Americans. Read nonfiction biographies of significant individuals identified on the list (e.g., George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr.). Recognize the famous Americans for their defense of individual civil rights and the ways in which they served the country. As part of the discussion, have the students locate on maps or globes the general areas mentioned in the biographies of the individuals studied. Construct a large comparative chart or timeline illustrating the following: FAMOUS AMERICANS WHEN DID

THEY LIVE? WHAT WAS THEIR CIVIC CONTRIBUTION?

Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826 Wrote the Declaration of Independence Served as U.S. President

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865 Wrote the Emancipation Proclamation Served as U.S. President

Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968 Led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Gave the “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963 Won a Nobel Peace Prize Civil Rights Leader

The teacher should add other names of famous Americans to the list above.



Talk about national holidays associated with these people and why the country honors some of them with holidays. Discuss with students why this holiday is significant to the country. Have students choose one famous American from the chart above and create a poster about their contributions to the country. Students may need to do further research. The Internet can be used to find information and pictures for posters. Activity 7: National Holidays (GLEs: 27, 45, 52) Materials List: National Holidays BLM, Internet (optional) Introduce the term holiday. Have students name some holidays that they celebrate in the local community. (e.g., Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.) Make a list on the board of the different holidays celebrated. Then introduce the term national holiday. Tell students that a national holiday is celebrated throughout the country. Have students think about the times in their lives they celebrated special holidays or events with their families. Have the students bring photos or draw pictures of four or five of these events. Then have students create a personal timeline with their pictures. Students should write a brief description of the event under each picture and include their age at the time of the event. Then have students create a timeline showing the twelve months. (See the National Holidays BLM) Have students write national holidays on the timeline in the correct month in which they are celebrated. Include on the timeline, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King’s Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any other holiday celebrated in their local community. Help students identify people associated with each holiday and their achievements. Discuss the significance of each holiday to the country. Have students write journal entries about their favorite national holiday and why they enjoy it. Explain to students that, like this country, other countries celebrate various holidays. Some holidays are celebrated because of events that happened in the past. The Fourth of July, celebrates the country’s birthday. This was the day we declared independence. Other countries also celebrate freedom and independence. The following chart gives some examples:

Country Date of Independence

Date Celebrated Name of Holiday

Mexico September 16, 1810

September 16 Independence Day

Canada July 1, 1867

July 1 Canada Day



Italy April 25, 1945

April 25 Liberation Day

Japan May 3,1947

May 3 Constitution Day

South Africa April 27,1994

April 27 Freedom Day

China December 2, 1949

October 1 National Day

Have students choose one or two countries and find information on how Independence Day is celebrated. Then have them compare it to how it’s celebrated in this country. Then discuss how this celebration has changed with the passing of time. Federal Holidays - http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC/ http://www.opm.gov/Operating_Status_Schedules/fedhol/index.asp Activity 8: Holidays Around the World (GLEs: 51, 52) Materials List: Internet access (optional), poster paper Discuss how different holidays are celebrated in local communities compared to communities around the world. Use the Internet to find information about different holidays. Have students create posters that show how different holidays are celebrated around the world. The following sites may be used as resources. Holidays Around the World by Country http://www.holidayinsights.com/world/ Holidays Around the World Glossary http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/glossary/holidaysgloss.htm Earth Calendar - http://www.earthcalendar.net/index.php Holidays Around the World - http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/holidays.htm; Multicultural calendar - http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC/

Sample Assessments General Guidelines Documentation of student understanding is recommended to be in the form of portfolio assessment. Teacher observations and records as well as student-generated products may be included in the portfolio. All items should be dated and clearly labeled to effectively show student growth over time.



General Assessments

• Graphic organizers can be used to assess students’ knowledge of concepts (e.g., Venn diagrams, Webs, charts, etc.).

• Journal writing can be assessed throughout this unit. Have students write journal entries about their favorite national holiday and why they enjoy it, summarizing a historical story or legend, or what famous American they would most want to be and why.

• Teacher Observation and Judgment: Several activities in this unit involve students working cooperatively. Students’ behaviors can best be recorded and assessed by teacher observation and judgments. (See the Cooperative Learning Rubric BLM.)

• Plays may be created about a holiday or famous American. Activity-Specific Assessments

• Activity 2: Students will create a Venn Diagram showing how children around the world are alike and different.

• Activity 4: Have students collect materials and make a collage or poster that would

represent some of the cultural elements present in the community. Assess the collage or poster using a teacher-created rubric.

• Activity 6: Posters will be created to tell about famous Americans. Have students

choose one famous American from the chart created in class and create a poster about his or her contributions to the country. (See the Famous American Poster Rubric BLM.)

grade 2 social studies - lafayette parish school system · past by constructing a personal timeline...

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